Spring operated teeter totter



10, 1959 Y J. c. DlMlTRlADlS 2,873,118

- SPRING OPERATED TEETER TOTTER Filed Jan. 17, 1957 James 6. D/mirriadis INVENTOR.

United States Patent SPRING OPERATED TEETER TOTTER James C. Dimitriadis, Portland, Oreg.

Application January 17, 1957, Serial No. 634,769

4 'Claims. (Cl. 272-55) The present invention generally relates to an amusement device and more particularly to a riding device in the,,form of a spring operated teeter totter which is specifically constructed for use by a single child whereby the child may simulate the action of a see-saw without having a second child available for balancing purposes inasmuch as a tension spring is provided for operating the teeter totter in the usual manner.

An object of the present invention is to provide a spring operated teeter totter having a brake mechanism associated therewith whereby the seat of the teeter totter may be stopped at a desired position adjacent a supporting surface for facilitating the child getting on to or off of the seat.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a spring operated teeter totter which is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive and extremely safe.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become'subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, where in like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the spring-urged teeter totter of the present invention with the protective cover being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the construction of Figure l with the protective cover being shown in section;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken. generally upon a plane taken along section line 3-3 of Figure 1 illustrating the details of the brake actuating handle; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially upon a plane taken along section line 44 of Figure 2 illustrating the details of construction of the brake mechanism.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the spring-urged teeter totter of the present invention including an elongated and 'generally rectangular base 12 having a pair of inverted V- shaped support stands 14 mounted thereon by bolts 16 with the apex of each supporting stand or frame 14 being provided with a generally cylindrical portion 18 forming a bearing for a transverse axle 20 which is rigidly secured to the undersurface of an elongated teeter totter board 22 by a bracket 24 and fastening screws 26 whereby the shaft 20 will be caused to pivot about its longitudinal axis with the elongated teeter totter board 22.

One end of the board 22 is provided with a seat 26 with a T-shaped handle 28 being connected to the board 22 immediately inwardly of the seat 26. The other end of the board 22 is provided with an eye-bolt 30 extending therethrough with an adjustable nut 32 permitting adjustment of the eye-bolt 30. A tension spring 34 extends between the eye on the eye-bolt 30 and eye 36 on a mounting bracket 39 secured to the base 12. The eye 36 and the eye on the eye-bolt 30 may each be pro- 2,873,118 Patented Feb. 10, 1959 ice vided with a spring-urged keeper 38 to prevent accidental disengagement of the hooks on the ends of the spring 34 from disengagement therewith during pivotal or rocking movement of the teeter totter board 22.

Rigidly mounted on the axle 20 and secured to the board 22 is a ratchet gear 40 with screw fasteners 42 securing a portion thereof to the board 22. The ratchet gear 40 is provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 44 mounted in a recess 58 in the transverse portion of the T-shaped handle 28. The lever- 56 is spring-urged by a spring 60 to a position for permitting latching engagement of the latch 46. A pivotal handle 62 is provided on the vertical portion of the T-shaped handle 28 and the connecting link 64 connects the handle 62 and the lever 56 whereby the handle 62 maybe moved into a position substantially parallel to the transverse portion of the T-shaped handle thus releasing the latch 46 or the brake formed by the latch 46 and ratchet gear 40 for permitting normal operation of the board 22 and for permitting locking of the board 22 with the seat 26 in a downwardly extended position for permitting a child to easily get onto or OK the board. A protective cover 66 may be provided for preventing injury by the spring 34 and the axle and ratchet mechanisms and the cover 66 may be provided with an access'door 68 and an opening 70 for receiving the board 22 thus permitting operation of the teeter totter 10.

The cover 66 may be in the form of plastic material or may be any one of several sheet lined materials such as sheet metal, wood or the like and the access door 68 permits adjustment of the tension or change of the spring 34 by varying the position of the adjustment nut or hand wheel 32 thus varying the riding characteristics of the teeter totter board 22. The snap hooks or eyes formed by the eyes on the eye-bolt 30 and the eye 36 on the bracket plate 39 prevent accidental disengagement of the spring 34 thus eliminating the possibility of a sudden downward dropping of the seat'26.

In operation, the teeter totter board 22 may be locked in a downwardly extending position as illustrated in Figure 1 with the spring 34 being tensioned by virtue of the latch 46 engaging the ratchet teeth 44 as urged by the tension spring 50. After the child has positioned himself on the seat 26, the handle 62 may be raised by exerting a squeezing pressure thereon thus releasing the latch 36 and permitting the teeter totter board 22 to be operated in the usual manner. The present invention has been specifically constructed for providing a teeter totter for operation by a single child thus permitting a family having only one child to provide the child with an amusement device in the form of a teeter totter which will be useful and enjoyed without a second person being available to ride and balance the teeter totter.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A teeter totter comprising a base, a pair of transversely spaced upstanding support trames on .said base, a teeter totter board pivotally supported on the upper ends of said supporting frames and extending to each side thereof into aligning relation with the .base, spring means interconnecting one end of the board and the base, a seat on the other .end of the board, means for locking the board in apredetermined angular :position, said locking means including a ratchet gear rigid with the board at the pivot axis, a pivotal latch for engagement with said ratchet gear, and control means for said pivotal latch with the control means being operable from a point adjacent the seat.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said control means includes a T-shaped handle with a pivotal actuating handle mounted thereon, a control cable extending from the actuating handle to said latch for actuating said latch from the seat.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said spring means is in the form of a tension coil spring having means for adjusting the tension thereof, said spring means, support frame and bracket and latch being enclosed in a protective cover 4. A teeter totter comprising a base, a pair of transversely spaced upstanding support frames on said base, an elongated teeter totter board pivotally supported on said supporting frames, one end of said board having a seat thereon for receiving an occupant, handle means adjacent said seat for gripping by the occupant, latch'means for locking the board in predetermined angular position, and spring means for urging the end of the board having the seat thereon upwardly to an elevated position, said latch means including a ratchet gear rigid with the board at the pivot axis, a pivotal latch for engagement with said ratchet gear, and control means for said pivotal latch with the control means being operable from a point adjacent the seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

